Coin selector and slug rejector



Filed Jam. 15, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 Y INVENTOR.

HAROLD A. SNlTH BY ATT'Y.

NOV. 25, 1947. H, A sMn-H 2,431,432

COIN SELECTOR AND SLUG REJECTR Filed Jan. l5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 68 vINVENTOR.

HAROLD A. SMITH MMM vso ATT'Y UNITED STATES PATENT Patented Nov. 25,1947 COIN SELECTOR AND SLUG REJECTOR Application January 15, 1945,Serial No. 572,849

'tion of genuine coins.

26 Claims. l

Y ation of such machines by means of slugs or counterfeit coins.

The invention may be considered as an improvement on the inventiondisclosed in U. S.

Patent Re. 22,229, granted December l, 1942, to Harold A. Smith, andemploys a pair of dies each containing an impression of the coin to beselected, means for bringing about a fit between a deposited coin andone of the dies, and means including a suction device for causing thecoin to adhere to the die temporarily, whereby the coin may be directedinto a chute for the recep- A slug or a counterfeit coin is rejected byreason of the fact that it does not match the dies and will not adhereto either die, due to the excessive leakage of air.

The invention and various features thereof will be described more fullyin the detailed specification which follows, and with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front view of a coinselectorv and slug rejector embodying the invention, with the front ofthe casing removed to expose the parts inside, certain of said partsbeing shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, with the top of the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, and shows certain otherparts, including a coin chute and part of the front wall of the casingof a vending machine or other machine in which the coin selector andslug rejector is incorporated;

' Fig. 4 shows a gear with an integrally formed cam;

Fig, 5 shows the contour of the cam; and

Fig. 6 is a partial section through the coin chute on the line 6 6, Fig.3.

Referring to the drawings, the mechanism is enclosed in a metalliccasing comprising the front IIB, back II, bottom I2, sides I3 and I4,and top I5. The back, bottom and sides of the casing are preferablyformed integrally from a single piece of material, which is bent to theproper shape in a suitable fixture. The front and top of the casing arealso formed in one piece. The sides and bottom of the casing areprovided with ears such as I6, Il and I8, Fig. 1, to which the front ofthe casing may be secured by means of screws as shown in Fig. 2.

Near the topy of the casing are two supporting blocks 2B Vand 2|, theshape of which can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2. The block 2e is securedto the side wall I3 of the casing by screws 24 and 25, while block 2| issecured to the side wall I4 of the casing by screws 26 and 21. Theseblocks rigidly support the two rods 22 and 23 which extend across thecasing between the blocks.

The reference character 3| indicates a yoke which is slidably mounted onthe rods 22 and 23 and is urged to the left by the two springs 32 and33. These springs surround the rods 22 and 23, respectively, and arecompressed between the yoke 3| and the block 2|. The yoke 3| isadditionally supported by means of two pins 34 and 35 which are iixed inthe yoke and are slidable in the block 2|. v

There is a corresponding yoke 30 on the left hand side which is slidableon the rods 22 and 23 like yoke 3| and is urged to the right by the twosprings 36 and 31. The pins 38 and 39 are fixed in yoke 30 and areslidable in the block 20. The position of the yokes 3U and 3| iscontrolled by two cams, as will be described presently.

The reference characters 4|) and 4I indicate two coin gripping cylinderswhich are supported on the yokes 30 and 3|, respectively. The cylinder4|) has an internal bevel 42 at the right hand end, the smaller diameterof which is the same as or slightly less than the diameter of the cointo be selected. At its left hand end the cylinder 40 has an annularrecess in which the flexible disc 4S is secured by staking. The disc 48is secured to the yoke 30 by means of a headed sleeve 41, which has apress fit in the yoke and is additionally secured by staking. A ring 4Sis interposed between the yoke and the disc, which is clamped betweenthe ring and the head of the sleeve.

The cylinder 4I is supported on the yoke 3| in the same way thatcylinder 4U is-supported on yoke 3|). It will be seen that the discssuch as 48 provide flexible connections between the cylinders and theyokes, whereby the cylinders are adapted to yield or tilt slightly toadjust themselves to a coin, which may not be of uniform thicknessaround the rim. The operation of the cylinders in gripping and holding adeposited coin will be explained presently.

The reference character 44 indicates a die which is supported on thetubular shaft 49. The shaft has a bearing in the sleeve 41 and anotherbearing in the air seal washer 5| which is preferably made of Bakelite.A pinion 52 is secured to shaft 49 by means of a set screw. The yoke 3|)has a rectangular opening, seen clearly in Fig. 2, t9 provide room forthe pinion 52. This opening is larger than the pinion 52, and thus theshaft 49 is permitted to have a limited axial movement in its bearingsin addition to its rotary movement. The shaft is urged toward the rightby a spring 55 which is compressed between the washer 5| and the pinion52, so that the pinion normally bears against the right hand side of theopening in yoke 30.

The die 44 is supported on the shaft 49 by means of a disc 45, which isstaked on the shaft, and a rubber ring 43 which is cemented 0r molded tothe back of the die. The ring 43 has an internal groove and is resilientenough .so that it can be slipped on or olfv the disc.

The die 44 is preferably made of glass and has on its face an impressionof the coin to be selected, as shown in Fig. 3. There lare a pluralityof small openings connecting the face of the die with the back thereofand forming air passages .through the die. These openings are preferably.two -in number andare located in elevated areas on the face ofthe die.One opening is indicated .at -53 in Fig. 3. Another opening, which isalmost diametrically opposite opening 53, is indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 1. Each opening is connected to the nearest adjacent depressedarea in the face of the die by a bleeder `channel such as 55.

The cylinder 4| is mounted on yoke 3| in the .same way .that cylinder 4Dis mounted on yoke 30. Other parts on the right hand side correspond tothose on the'left hand side which have .just been described. The die 54is identical with die 44 and is supported on the tubular shaft 56 whichcarries the pinion 51. The shaft 56 has bearings in the yoke 3| and inthe block 2| and .has a limited axial movement relative to the yoke.vSpring 58 urges the shaft assembly to the left and normally holds the`pinion 51 against the left side of Athe opening in the yoke 3|.

The reference character B0 indicates the gear mounting block whichYextends between the front and rear walls -of the casing and is firmlysecured to the rear wall v|| by means .of four screws such as 6| `and62. The -block 60 issubstantially square in cross section .and hasAplane surfaces on all `four sides except for a semi-circular recess 63on the upper surface which is .cut out to provide room for the cylinders40 and 4|. The block also ,has a number rof slots which extend downwardfrom its upper surface.

The slot r64 is the slug return slot or chute, and can Vbe seen -inFigs. l Aand 2, Vbeing partly shown also'in Fig. 3, where the bottom ofthe slot is dened by the solid line65 and the dotted continuations ofthis line. It will be seen that this return slot64 is located directly-beneath the space between the two dies -44 and 54' and that it slopesdownward toward the `front `wall I 0 of the casing. There is of course aslot -in the front wall .of thercasing which is aligned with the slot 64in the block.

There are two coin collect 'slots indicated at 66 and 61, Fig. 2, whicharesymmetrically located von opposite sides of the slug return slot 64.-One of these coin collect slots, slot 166, can be seen in Fig. 1. The`dotted .line -58 :in Fig. 3 defines the bottoms of ithe two coincollect slots .and shows Lthat they slope ,downward toward Vthe rearwall .of -the casing. There are two slots in the rear wall which are inalignment with the .slots-65 and 61, respectively.

In addition to the slug return and coin collect .slots described, theblock it] vhas a narrow slot 69, Fig. 2, which extends from the slugreturn slot 4 64 to the rear end of the block. The depth of the slot 69is indicated by the dotted line 10, Fig. 3. It is provided in order topermit necessary movement of the coin actuated switch lever H5, as willbe explained shortly.

The gear 1| is rotatably supported on the block v60 bymea-ns of a4headed shoulder pin .or stud 12, the shank portion of which has :adrive fit in a hole drilled transversely through the block. The oppositegear 13 is similarly mounted on the block 68 by means of a stud 14. Thegears 1| and 13 are in mesh with the pinions 52 and 51, respectively,and are driven in opposite directions by the gear 15, which is mountedon the lower side of block 60 by means of the stud 16.

The gear is driven by the pinion 18 on shaft 19, which in turn is drivenby the motor 11 through the medium .of suitable speed reducing gears.The motor is mounted yon the rear wall Il of the casing as shown. Themotor unit including the speed reducing Ygears is of Vknown constructionand need not be Vdescribed in detail. It may be mentioned, however, thatthe speed reduction should be such that .the gears 1| and 13 rotate at aspeed of from about 45 R. P. M. to 60 R. P. M.

The gears 1| and 13 are provided with integrally formed cams 8D and 8|,respectively, which .control the sliding movement of the yokes 30 and 3|.on .the rods 22 and 23. Gear 13 and cam 8| are shown in Fig. 4. Thecontour of the cam is shown in Fig. 5 from which it, will be seen thatthe working face includes a long gradually rising portion 82, a latportion 82', a short lrapidly descending portion 83 terminating in ashallow depression 85 and a short rapidly descending portion 84. TheVgear 1| and cam 80 are identical withgear 13 and cam .8|. The two camsengage rollers .88 and '81, respectively, which are mounted 4on theyokes .30 and 3| as shown. The gears are so assembled with the gear 15that .corresponding vpoints on the cams engage the rollerssimultaneously., in order to secure synchronous operation of the vyokes.3D and 3|.

The cams B0 and -8| .also `operate two suction devices each of which isin theform of .a bellows. The left hand bellows .8.8 is ,shown insection .and comprises twometal vplates .9D and 9| which are hingedtogether `at the .bottom vas indicated ai; 93 .and which are connectedat the edges all around by an accordion pleated fabric .such as rubber,which is impervious to air. The .plate 90 is secured .to .the .side wallI3 v.of vthe casing vby means of .two -screws such as f28 ,at the topand a screw .84 .at the bottom. .The plate 9| vhas a metal strap 95outside, .preferably secured -to the plate by spot welding. The upper-end `portion 96 of strap 95 is bent away from the plate 9| as shown andengages `the .head Yof -stud 12, which acts as a stop. Another part 91struck outf-rom the body of the strap 35 is also bent away from plate 9|and forms .a support for the .roller 99. Another part .9 8 `is struckoutfrom the ,body of strap 95 and is bent to form a hookfor the spring|00. The plate 9.! .has an opening at `lll/I., which is closed by therubber flap |02. This flap is effective to permit the egress vbut'notthe .ent-rance of air and acts as a valve.

The bellows -89 is in all vrespects the same as bellows 88 `andaccordingly need not be described .in .detai-l.

The spring |00 is tensioned between the hook 58 on bellows 38 and acorresponding hook |03 on bellows -89 and Ynormally maintains bothbellows -in yexpanded condition. The bellows 88 is compressed by the cam80 acting on roller 99,

5 while the bellows 89 isgcompressed by the cam 8| acting on the roller|04.

The plate |05 is secured to the wall I3 of the casing by means of screws24 and 25, Fig. 2, and

two screws such as 20, Fig. 1, and has a raised bead |06 which forms achannel communicating at its lower end with the interior of the bellows88'by way of aligned openings in the wall I3 and plate 90. A gasket |01is interposed between the plate vI 05 and wall I3. At its upper end thechannel formed bybead |fa` communicates with the bore |08 in block 20and the bore |09 which is in communication with the interior of thetubular shaft 49. Bore |09 is of smaller diameter than bore |08. Thevalve member ||0`is formed from a disc of Bakelite of the same diameteras the bore |08. The spring III is compressed between a perforatedconcave washer which rests against the gasket |01 and the valve member||0 and holds the latter against the shoulder which is formed at thejunction of bores |08 and |09. The valve member I|0 has a number ofsmall holes therein located on a circle of slightly smaller diameterthan bore |09 so that it does not shut 01T communication between bores|08 and |09.VV

The function of the valve member I|0 is to close the end of the tubularshaft 49. When the shaft 49 and associated parts are moved to the leftby the yoke 30, the shaft engages the valve member IIO near the end ofthe movement and the shaft 1 those described for bellows 88, and a valvesimilar.

to valve I|0 is provided in block 2| to seal the shaft 56.

When a coin is deposited it is supported in selecting position by meansof a coin locator |I2 and a switch lever I I5, bothY of which extendinto the space between the coin Vgripping cylinders 40 and 4I. The coinlocater I|2 is made from a sheet metal stamping, bent to the form shownin Fig. 2, and is pivoted on the rod 23, A spring ||3 is tensionedbetween a hook on slide |I4 and the coin locator I I2 and maintains theforwardly extending part of the coin locator in engagement with theslide, as shown in Fig. l. In this position the rearwardly extendingrounded end or nose of the coin locator is opposite the center of thedie 44, as seen in Fig. 3, and is separated from the axis of the die bya distance equal to the radius of the coin to be selected.

The switch lever H5 is also made from a sheet metal stamping, and isformed as shown in Fig. 2. The switch lever is pivoted on the rod 22 andits forwardly extending rounded end, shown dotted in Fig. 3, projectssomewhat farther into the space rbetween the gripping cylinders 60 and4I than the coin locator I I2. The upwardly extending part of the switchlever II5 has a projection which bears against a bushing on the end ofcontact spring II8 The contact springs IIB and ISare mounted on the rearwall |I of the casing by means of screws, spacers and insulators, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The socalled cam lever is made from a sheet metall stamping, like thecoin locator and switch lever, but has a somewhat more complicatedV theswitch lever.

`axis of vthe dies.

horizontally to the right as seen in Fig. 2, and an arm |25 whichextends downwardly and to the left as seen in Fig. 3. `The upwardlyextending part |22 of the cam lever lies between two pins IIS and I|'|xed to the switch lever ||5 and has a tapped hole in which .theadjusting screw |24 is threaded. A spring |26 is mounted on the rearwall of the casing in the spring assembly which includes the contactsprings IIB and IIS and has its end bearing on the part |22 of the camlever; as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The spring |26` is tensioned to therear and maintains the end of the adjusting screw l2@ in engagement withthe rear wall II of the casing.

The contact spring I|8 is also tensioned to the rear and maintains thepin II'I on switch lever ||5 in engagement with part |22 of the camlever, thus determining the normal position of When a coin is depositedthe periphery of the coin contacts the rounded end of the coin locator|I2 and the rounded end of the switch lever ||5 and the latter isrotated in a counter-clockwise direction until the end of the switchlever is substantially the same distance radially from the axis of thedies as the end of the coin locator, at which time the rotation voi theswitch lever is stopped by the engagement of pin IIS with the part |22of the cam lever. 1n rotating as described the switch lever moves thecontact spring ||8 into engagement with contact spring I I9, spring I3being adjusted with such a lightr tension as to permit this operation.The spring |26, however, which bears against the part |22 of -the camlever, is too stiiT to allow the cam lever to be operated by the coin. twill be seen now that the operated position of the switch lever can beadjusted by means of the adjusting screw |29 so that a deposited coinwill be very accurately located with respect to the dies and thegripping cylinders, with the center or the coin in substantial alignmentwith the The coin is held suspended in this position, that is, it cannotfall through, because the end of the switch lever is angularly spacedfrom the end of the coin locator by yonly about 145 degrees and thedistance between them is less than the'diameter of the coin.

The contact springs I|8 and II9 constitutea switch for controlling themotor 'I1 and are connected in series with one of the power supplyconductors extending to the motor. The motor terminals are indicated atand I'I. The wir- `ing is not shown but will be readily understood.

The hub |30 of gear 'I3 is utilized as a cam for operating the cam leverand to this end is providl II'I and rotates the switch lever II5 farenough Hso that the end thereof clears the slug return slot.,V Theslot-69, hereinbefore referred to, 4is

i provided to enable the switch lever to make this movement. The'partsremaian in this position,

with switch |I8--I I9 closed, until the cam |30 has rotated far enough,for the arm |25 to drop into the notch `I 31| again, whereupon thecamlever and the .switch lever' return to the positions in'which theyareshown in'Fig. 3.

-The slide l |4, previously ,referred to, is 'shown in Fgs. 1, 2 andOnly one half of the slide appears Yin Fig. 1, but it will be understoodthat the other .half s symmetrical with the half that is shown. Thegeneral shape of the slide is that `of an inverted U. The .two `legs |32and |33 have an angular cross-section, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, wherethe block .60 Vis shown ,partly in ysection to expose the leg |33, alsoshown in section. 'The slide is supported on the block 60, which isprovided with vertical grooves in which the legs |32 and |33 arereceived. The spring |34 is tensioned between the top of block 60 and a,projection |36 formed at the 'lower end of leg |33 and with acorresponding spring associated with leg |32 maintains the slide in `itsuppermost position, in which the shoulder |35 anda correspondingshoulder at the left hand side of the slide engage the top l5 of thecasing. One purpose for which the slide ||4 is provided is vto enable ythe yokes and 3| to be operated, or moved .in `opposite directions, byhand, and to this end the slide has diverging sides above the junctionof the two legs, forming cams |31 vand |38 which engage the yokes 30 and3| when the slide is moved downward. The depression of the slide alsorotates the coin locator ||2 and moves the rounded nose thereof out ofthe space between the gripping cylinders and 4|.

It may be assumed that the coin selector and slug rejector isincorporated in a vending machine which includes a casing of which apart of the front wall is Yindicated at |40 in Fig. 3. The coin selectorand slug revjector may be fastened to the wall I 40 by vmeans of twoscrews such as |42 and two more screws below. The wall |40 has a slot inalignment with the slug return slot 64 and is provided with a cup 4| inwhich returned slugs or defective coins are deposited.

The coin chute |43 is attached to the top I5 of the casing as shown andprojects through the wall |40. Two springs |44 and |45 are attached tothe Asides of the coin chute and, as shown in Fig. 6, have curvedportions which project through openings in the coin chute. The springsare accordingly adapted to be engaged by a coin passing down the chutebut are `very flexible or limber vand consequently will not Istop aproper coin. The purpose of these -springs will be explained presently.

The lever |46 is pivoted on va bracket, |41 'attached to the top I5 andextends to the left `past the coin chute 43. Beyond the coin chute thelever rests in a slot at the end of slide ||4 land passes through a slotin the Wall |40. An operating knob |48 is provided at the end of thelever. Where it passes the coin chute |43 the lever |46 -is -bifurcatedand has two curved arms such as V|49 which lie close to the sides of thecoin chute. These arms 'have wedge shaped ends such as |50 which areadapted when the lever -is depressed to enter between the springs |44and |45 and the adjacent-sides o'f the coin chute to separate vthesprings.

The depression of lever |46 Yis also effective to operate the slidefl-l4'and'a, small lever |5| which 'extends through the top I5 of thecasing. When lever |5| l"is operated the end of the lever engages spring"I I9 and moves 'it out of the rangeof spring :|'|8. The end of 'lever|5| Amay lbe provided with an insulating sleeve (not shown) to preventgrounding oi the motor circuit on the casing.

A coin chute |52, partly shown in Figs. 2 and .3, is vsecured totheiback wall -of the casing and is adapted 'to vreceive lcoins from the-collect 8 :slots 66 land 61 and direct tthem vto the coin actuatedmechanism of the vending machine.

The operation of the coin selector andslug re- 4lector will now beexplained. For this purpose itwill be assumed first that a good coin isdeposited in the coin chute |43.

When the coin is deposited it rolls down the chute, passes lbetween thesprings |44 and |45, `which do not retard its descent `appreciably, andis delivered to the space between the coin gripping cylinders 40 and 4|,where it comes to rest with its periphery in engagement with the coinlocator ||2 and the switch lever |l5. The switch lever is operated bythe coin and rotates on rod 22 'until vDin 6 engages the part |22 of thevcam lever. This movement of the switch lever enables the coin to alignitself with the gripping cylinders and also closes the switch ||8| I9.

The closure of the switch starts the motor 11, which begins to run anddrives the shaft 19, Awhich drives the gear 15 by means of the pinion18. The gear 15 drives the `gears 1| and 13 and these gears in turndrive the pinions 52 and 51 which are fixed on the tubular die shafts 49and 56. `The lrotation ofthe dies is'thus started and continues untilthe coin is :selected and the motor stops.

The direction Vof rotation of the motor is such that gear 1| rotates ina clockwise direction as seen from the left in Fig. 1, while gear 13rotates in .a clockwise direction as seen from the right. The integrallyformed cams and 8| rotate `in the same directions as their associatedgears and accordingly the rollers 86 and 81 leave the depressions suchas 85, Fig. 5, in the cams and ride down on the sharply sloping portionssuch as 84. The yokes are thus released by the cams and yoke 30 is movedto the right by springs 36, v31 and 50, while'yoke `3| is moved to theleft by springs 32, 33 and 58. 'Ihe shafts 49 and 56 and the dies 44 and54 'supported thereon move with the yokes.

The dies 44 `and 54 engage the coin first and are pressed against theopposite `sides of the coin by the springs 50 and 58. The movement ofthe yokes and the gripping cylinders 40 and 4| continues independent ofthe dies for a short distance yor until the beveled edgesof the grippingcylinders engage the rim of the coin. The gripping cylinders are nowpressed against the coin by v'springs 32, 33, 36 and 31, while the diesVare independently pressed against the coin by springs 50 and 58.

An instant after the coinhas been seized by the vgripping cylinders 40and 4| the cam |30 engages arm |25 and rotates the cam lever on the rod22. This operation rotates the switch lever to clear the slug returnslot and holds the switch |'8-i I3 closed independent ofthe depositedcoin.

At this time also the cams 80 and 8| engage the rollers 99 and |04 and4start to compress 'bellows 88 and vbellows V89. In this operation theair is expelled from bellows 88 by way of valve |02 and from bellows 89by'way of va similar valve.

' While the bellows are being compressed the dies Vare being rotated forthe purpose of enabling the coin to enter one of the dies. This testing.period is divided intoitwo stages, a first .stage extending up to thetime when the coin enters one 'of the .dies and a second stage 'startingat this'tirne extending .up to the time when :the dies are separated.During the rst stage the coin is held against rotation by the grippingcylinders. The springs -suc`hasl32 lare rather weak and press theAgripping cylinders :againstthe coin withamoderate pressure, which issuicient to hold the coin against rotation nevertheless because the diesrotate in opposite directions and the rotative torque applied to thecoin by one die is substantially balanced out by the torque applied bythe other die. During the second stage the torque applied to the coin bythe die which it has entered is much the greater and the coin rotateswith this die against the friction imposed by the gripping cylinders andthe torque impressed by the other die. The springs 5d and 5S shouldapply sumcient pressure to the dies to prevent a coin which has entereda die from leaving it but the pressure should not be so excessive as tocause unnecessary wear on the dies. The adjustment of the springs is notcritical.

The testing period covers the time during which the gradually slopingportions such as 32 of the cams Sl and 8| are in engagement with therollers 99 and |04 and is long enough so that the dies each makesomewhat more than one complete rotation. This insures that the coinwill have a chance to enter one of the dies.

At the end of the testing period, when the bellows are fullycompressed,the sharply sloping portions such as B3 and 84 of the cams pass therollers 99 and |64 with the result that the bellows are releasedand arequickly expanded by the spring |60. A partial vacuum is established ineach bellows, therefore, which tends to produce a flow of air throughthe associated die. As regards the die not entered by the coin, theholes in the die are not closed to any great extent, the flow ofair'through the die is substantially unobstructed, and the partialvacuum established by the expansion of the bellows is very quicklysatisfied. As regards the other die, which has been entered by the coin,the openings in the die are so effectively sealed by the coin that theair ilow through the die is very small and the vacuum in the air passagebehind the die in the associated bellows is only very gradually reduced.

The parts such as 82 of the cams 8|] and 8| now come into engagementwith the rollers 85 and 81 and move the yokes apart, yoke 30 moving tothe left and loke 3| moving to the right. The yokes move independent ofthe dies for a short distance, thus disengaging the gripping cylindersfrom the coin. Shortly after this has occurred the yokes engage thepinions 52 and 57, whereupon the dies separate and move to the left andright, respectively, along with the yokes.

Assuming now that the coin has entered the die 44, the openings such as53 in the die will be substantially sealed by the coin, there will be apartial vacuum behind the die and the air prssure on the outside of thecoin will cause it to adhere to the die. As the die moves to the left,therefore, the coin is carried along and is positioned directly abovethe coin collect slot 66 .as the movement is completed. Just before thisoccurs the end of the tubular shaft 49 engages the valve member whichseals the shaft and stops the ow of air from the back of the die to theinterior of the bellows. The space behind the die and in the hollowshaft 49 is very small as compared to the space inside the bellows andthe partial vacuum behind the die is almost instantly relieved by theleakage of air around the coin and through the holes in the die,whereupon the coin drops into the collect slot 66 and passes down thechute |52 to the coin operated mechanism of the vending machine. It willbe observed from Fig. that the sloping portion 82 of the cam terminatesin a short iiat portion 82. These flat portions of the cams hold thedies stationary in their extreme left and right hand positions,respectively, for an interval which is long enough for the selected cointo be released as described.

As the rotation of the cams continues the sharply descending portionssuch as 83 come into engagement with the rollers 8S and 8l, therebypermitting the yokes 30 and 3| to move toward cach other under the powersupplied by the springs 32, 58, etc. As the yokes start this movementthe arm |25 of the cam lever drops into the notch iSl on cam |39 and thecam lever and switch lever H5 are restored, opening the switch iis-l ESto stop the motor 11. The yokes continue to move, however, due partly tothe inertia of the motor armature and partly to power supplied by thesprings, until the depressions such as 85 in the cams, reach the rollers8B and 8l, whereupon the apparatus comes to rest. The parts are now intheir normal position, the position in kwhich they are shown in thedrawings, and the coin selector and slug rejector is ready for thedeposit of another coin.

It will be understood that if the coin had been deposited the other wayaround it would have been selected by the die 54 and would have beendropped into the coin collect slot El.

If a slug is deposited, the coin selector and slug rejector goes throughthe same cycle of operations as when a good coin is deposited, assuming,of course, that the slug is of substantially the same size and weight asthe coin, and it will not be necessary to repeat the explanation. Theonly difference is in the result, the slug being rejected and returned,This is due to the fact that the slug cannot enter either die and whenthe dies are separated it drops directly down into the slug return slotwhich directs it into the cup |4| The opening in the coin chute |43should conform quite closely to the size of the coin to be selected sothat a slug which is larger than the coin cannot be inserted. A slugwhich is substantially smaller than a coin will not be retained inselecting position by the switch lever ||5 and the coin locator ||2 butwill fall through into the slug return slot immediately. There may besome slugs, however, which will be retained in selecting position whendeposited but will not operate the machine. A slug made of aluminum, forexample, may conform closely to a coin in size but may be too light tooperate the switch trigger I l5 to close the switch and start the motor.

In order to remove a slug of the last mentioned type the lever |46 isoperated by means of knob |48. The operation of the lever, it is pulleddownward, depresses the slide ||4, the cams |31 and |38 of which engagethe yokes 39 and 3|, respectively, and move them in opposite directions.At the same time the slide ||4 rotates the coin locator ||2 on rod 23,thus clearing the path to the slug return slot 64 and allowing the slugto be returned.

It is possible also for a very thin slug or badly worn coin to becomewedged between one of the dies and the switch lever or the coin locator.Such a slug or coin may be dislodged and returned by operating the lever|46 as described, which moves the dies farther apart and allows the slugor coin to fall.

The coin selector and slug rejectoi` will unerringly accept and collectall genuine coins of the demonination for which it is designed, even ifsuch coins are worn to a considerable extent. A very badly worn coin isreturned, The machine will just as surely reject and return all slugs,howalien-13a ever closely they simulate a coin in size and weight. Inthis connection it may bev mentioned that the location of the openingssuch as 53 on elevated areas in the face of the die and the provision ofthe bleeder channels such as 55 are of considerable importance as thisarrangement makes it impossible for a flat smooth slug to seal one oftheopenings and be selected'.

The machine will also reject most counterfeit coins. A counterfeit coinmay so closely resemble the genuine coin that it dees detection by ordinary inspection, yet if it differs in size even very slightly or if thedesign varies in any detail, it will not enter the die and` will berejected.

In the case. of. a coin selector and slug rejector intended for theselection of coins of a denomination of which there. are two designs incirculation, the dies have a composite impression of both designs. Forexamplel a machine built for use with U. S. coins of the five centdenomination uses dies having a composite impression of one side of abuffalo nickel and one side of the Jefferson nickel and Willi selectcoins of both designs equally well.

An important consideration for the successful operation of the coinselector and slug rejector is that the dies be kept clean and free ofall sticky substances which might cause a good coin to` fail to enter adie or a coin or slug to adhere to a die independent of air pressure;Coins in general circulation are clean, or at least are free from stickymaterials, and cannot cause any trouble. However, it is known, that acoin will occasionally become contaminated with some sticky substancesuch as chewing gum, for example, either'by accidentl or with theintention on the part of the owner of the coin of defrauding the vendingmachine. Such purpose cannot be effected, of course, but in theoperation of the machine responsive to the deposit of a coin or slug socontaminated some of the sticky substance might adhere to the dies or toone of them, rendering. the machine inoperative and necessitating aservicev trip to clean the dies.

Theattachment on the coinV chute |43 comprising the springs |44 and |45is designed to eliminate trouble from the source above referred to;

When a clean coin or slug is deposited it slides down the chute Withoutbeing perceptibly delayed by the springs |44 and |45, but if a coin orslug having some sticky substance; such as gum adhering thereto isdeposited the movement of such coin or slug is arrested by the springsand it is heldl up in the coin chute.

The suspended coin or slug may be retrieved by operation of the lever|46 which spreads the springs |44 and |45 apart and allows it to falldown the coin chute. The operation of the lever also operates the slide|'4 as previously described thereby spreading the dies apart so that thedescending coin or slug will not contact either die' as it passesthrough the machine to the return cup |4|, If the sticky coin or slug isleft in the coin chute the next person who' deposits a coin will beadvised that' the chute is obstructed by the fact that the depositedcoin does not go down and will operate the lever |46- to cleartheobstruction, thereby returning all coins or slugs which at that timemay be inthe coin chute.

It is to be noted that the operation of the lever |46 does not spreadthe dies and gripping cylinders far enough to expose the coin collectslots 66 and 6]. All coins or slugs dislodged by operation of the levertherefore pass into the slug return slot.

'-Ihe invention having been described",r that which is believed to benew and for whichv the' including a die for selecting said coin, meansfor rotating said die in contact with said coin, and' means for holdingsaid coin against rotation until it enters said die. I

2'. In a coin selector and slug rejector, means for selecting a coinincluding a pair of dies having face configurations adapted to t oneside of said coin, said dies being of smaller diameter than said coin,means for bringing said dies in contact with the opposite sides of said'coin, respectively, means for rotating said` dies, and means forfrictionally gripping said coin outside thev margin of said dies with aforce suicient to prevent rotation of the coin until it enters one ofsaid dies.

3. In a coin selector and slug rejector, means for selecting a coinincluding tWo dies having face configurations adapted to nt one side ofsaid coin, two gripping members fo;- engaging the rim ofV said, coin tohold' the same, resilient' means for' pressing said dies against the'opposite sides of a deposited coin, independent resilient means foroperating said gripping members, and means for rotating said dies inoppositeA directions.

4. In a coinV selector' and slug rejector, two supports slidably mountedfor movement toward and away from each other, twoi diesA slidablymounted on said supports, resilient means forl moving said supports anddies to cause thel dies to' engage a de'- posited coin on opposite sidesthereof, two gripping members mounted on said supports, respectively,and additional resilient means for continuing the movement of saidsupports independent of( saijd dies to cause said gripping members toengage and hold said coin.

5. In a coin selector and slug rejector, means for supporting adeposited coin in selecting position, a perforated dieV having animpression of said coin, means for rotating said die against said cointo enable said coin to enter the die, a bellows', means for compressing'said bellows while said die' is rotating, means for releasing saidbellows after the coin has entered the die, a spring for quicklyexpanding saidv bellows, and means including an air passage connectingsaid bellowsV with the back of the said die, whereby air is drawnthrough the die to cause said coin to adhere thereto.

6. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a diehaving one or more air'passages extending. from the face of thedie to the back thereof, saiddie being` made of. glass, a hollow shaft, means for resilientlysupporting said dieA on said` shaft, said means forming a closed airpassage connecting the airpassage or passages' inthe dier with theinteri'orof the shaft,l and' means for applying suc'- tion to said shaftto draw air through said die, whereby acoin engaged by thedie maybecaused' to adhere thereto.

'7. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die having' an impression ofa coin onitsv face, a hole extending through the dieV from an elevatedarea of said impression, a channel in the face ofV the die connectingsaid hole with a depressed areaof said impression, and means forVapplying suction to the back of the die to draw air through said hole.

8. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die having one or more airpassages extending from :allergiesr the face of the die to the backthereof, a rubberring secured to the back of said die outside saidairpassages, said ring having an internal groove,`

a flexible disc the periphery of which is located in said groove, atubular shaft on which said disc is supported, the end of said shaftprojecting through said disc, and means for exhausting air through saidshaft and die.

9. In a coin selector and slug reiector, means for supporting adeposited coin in selecting position, a switch operated by the coin insaid position, a motor started by said switch, a rotatable die axiallymovable on its rotation axis to engage said coin, and means operated bysaid motor for controlling the axial movement of said die and forrotating said die to establish a iit with the com.

l0. In a coin selector and slug rejector, means for supporting a coin inselecting position, a

switch operated by said coin in selecting position, a motor started bysaid switch, means for selecting said coin including a rotatablereciprocating die and a suction device for causing the coin to adhere tothe die, and means for transmitting power from said motor to operatesaid die and suction device.

1l. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die containing an impressionof a coin, means for manipulating said die to establish a t with adeposited coin and to select the same, a motor supplying power tooperate said means, means responsive to the deposit of said coin forstarting said motor, and means actuated by the motor for causing themotor to run independent of said coin until the same is selected.

12. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a slug return chute, meansincluding a switch actuating member for holding a deposited coin or slugsuspended above said chute, a switch operated by said member, a motorcontrolled by said switch, means operated by said motor for holding andtesting said coin or slug, and means operated by said motor formaintaining said switch closed during the testing operation and formoving said member to clear the path to said return chute so that when aslug is tested it may be rejected.

13. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a pair of dies adapted toengage the opposite sides, respectively, of a deposited coin, twoaxially movable and rotatable shafts on which said dies'are supported,two pinions fixed on said shafts, respectively, two gears meshing withsaid pinions, respectively, means for driving said gears to rotate saidshafts and the said dies supported thereon, and means including camsrotating with said gears for controlling the axial movement of saidshafts while the same are rotating.

14. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a rotatable die, meansincluding a gear for rotating said die, a spring for moving the rotatingdie against a deposited coin, and a cam rotating with said gear andcontrolling the movement of said die under the power supplied by saidspring.

15. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a rotatable die, meanssupporting said die for reciprocating motion along its rotation axis toselect a deposited coin, a spring supplying power for movement of saiddie in one direction, means including a gear for rotating said die, anda cam rotating with said gear for controlling the movement f said die inthe direction in which it is moved by said spring and for moving saiddie in the opposite direction.

16. In a coin selector and slug rejector, two dies each containing animpression of a coin 144 to be selected, two shafts supporting saiddies, respectively, pinions on said shafts, two gears meshing with saidpinions, a third gear meshing with said first mentioned gears to drivethe same in opposite directions, and means for driving said third gear.

17. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a ro-` tatable die, means forrotating said die, means for giving said die a reciprocating motionalong its rotation axis, a suction device for exhausting air through thedie to cause a coin engaged by the die to adhere thereto, and meansincluding a singlecamfor controlling said reciprocating motion and theoperation of said suction device in timed relation to each other.

18.`In a coin selector and slug rejector, a roatable die, meansincluding a gear for rotating said die to cause the same to fit adeposited coin, a bellows, a spring for expanding said bellows, an airpassage whereby the expansion of said bellows exhausts air through saiddie to cause said coin to adhere thereto after a t has been established,and a cam rotating with said gear for compressing said bellows and forreleasing it in timed relation to the rotation ofthe die.

19. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a pair of oppositely disposedspaced dies, means for supporting a deposited coin between said dies,said means comprising a normally fixed member and a movable memberoperated by the weight of the coin, a switch actuated by said movablemember, means controlled by said switch for causing said dies to testand select the coin, and manually operated means for operating saidnormally fixed member to release a deposited coin or slug which fails tocause said movable member to actuate said switch.

20. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a pair of oppositely disposedspaced dies, means for supporting a coin between said dies, a coin chutefor directing a coin to said supporting means, means for arresting asticky coin in said coin chute, means for releasing said coin, means forwithdrawing said supporting means and spreading said dies to permit thereleased coin to fall through the space between the dies withoutcontacting the dies, and a common operating member for actuating saidlast means and said coin releasing means.

21. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die having an impression ofa coin on its face, said die having one or more holes extending from theface of the die to the back thereof, a hollow shaft, resilient meansincluding a flexible disc for connecting said die to the end of saidshaft, said means forming a closed air passage connecting the hollowshaft with the hole or holes in said die, and means for applying suctionto said shaft to draw air through said die, whereby a coin engaged bythe die may b e caused to adhere thereto.

22. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die having an impression ofa coin on its face, said die having one or more holes extending throughit from face to back, a hollow shaft, resilient means removablyconnecting said die to the end of said shaft, said means forming an airpassage connecting the hollow shaft with the hole or holes in said die,and means for applying suction to said shaft to draw air through saiddie, whereby a coin engaged by the die may be caused to adhere thereto.

23. In a coin selector and slug rejector, a die having an impression ofa coin on its face, means for moving said die to engage a depositedcoin,

mamas.

for saiddie adapted to permit tilting of the die about any axis in aplane parallel to theface of the die.

24. In a coin selector and slug rejector, twol cylindrical members forengaging the opposite sides of a deposited coin, resilient means foroperating said members to hold the coin, two dies located inside saidmembers,lrespectively, resilient means for pressing the dies against thecoin on opposite sides thereof, and means for producing, relativerotation between the said dies and saidA members to enable the coin toYenter one of the dies.

25. In a coin selector and slug rejector, two dies having a faceconfiguration adapted to fit one side of a coin to be selected, meanseffective when said coin is deposited for arrestingit in a positionbetween said dies with its center in alignment with the centers of saiddies, means for bringing said dies in contact with the opposite sides`of said coin,

16 respectively, means for rotating said dies, and means for preventinglateraldisplacement of saidv coinsinany, direction during rota-tion ofsaid dies, whereby the alignment of thecoin with the dies is maintained.

26. A coin selector and slug rejector as claimed in claim 25 wherein themeans for preventing lateral displacement of the coin includes means forlaterally shifting the coin slightly in case the Ainitial alignmentthereof` with the dies is not exactly; correct.

HAROLD Ae. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following, references are of record in the. file'-of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name. Date Smith T- a Dec, 1, 1942 HansenMar.c24,V 1931. Bug.; -en -;n Nov. 7*,v 1933;

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